I would like to build a remote controlled car. And if someone already has a good solution for that I would be glad to try it.

It's been a while since I had the time and material to build some LEGO creations. And now I am willing to start anew.

Last time I toyed with LEGO there were electric engines and such, but all I had was remote controlled with a cable and the functions were very basic. I am looking for a more advanced and wireless solution.

I am aware of the Power Functions. But I have no experience with these. Would these be a good start? What are the other options?

Edit: Mindstorms as suggested in a few answers could be the solution, but I am not sure it will be practical yet...

It seems there was an official line of LEGO RC cars at some point. I was thinking about something more like it.

Although I'd like to avoid cutting and gluing 3rd party components I don't mind hacking a few parts together to get something really cool.

As suggested by @pcantin there are adapters I could buy to interface LEGO with 3rd party engines etc... I will look into it. But I would appreciate some better pointers in this regard.

Edit I am already aware of the Power Functions IR remote control It's a good solution to start with (now), but I was looking for something more advanced.

I have never heard of Arduino before, but as a developper I am absolutely thrilled by this solution. I won't have the time to test it now. But it could become the answer I was looking for.

6 Answers
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I use a Mindstorms NXT brick and an Android smartphone for my remote controlled tank. The downside is that the NXT motors are slower than the regular Power Functions motors, and connecting PF motors to the NXT brick requires additional components.

Edit 1 (Howto)
Android bluetooth communication: There's the main page and the sample (I started from that one and modified it). You can also use the 'Sena Bterm' app to send and receive characters (no programming necessary but very basic).

Arduino bluetooth communication: This is the most simple part. All you need is a bluetooth breakout board and connect it to the Arduino like so. Using the board is as simple as any normal Serial communication ex:

This code reads the incoming bytes and write 'test1' or 'test2' in return.

Hardware: this is the coolest part because you get to do what ever you want. I personal use a lot of Lego Technics and sometime modified them to interface with foreign parts. Search the web and you'll find cool Lego-compatible stuff like this servo joint, this servo bracket or this wheel.

Thank you! I have never heard of Arduino. After checking out the main website it seems to be a solution I would enjoy a lot. I will probably start with the LEGO Power Functions and as soon as I get one of the Arduino boards I'll start playing with that.
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CoyoteOct 26 '11 at 12:19

Cool. When you get there, if you have any questions I'll be there
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pcantinOct 26 '11 at 12:23

Mindstorms and bluetooth? Do you have any links?
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CoyoteOct 25 '11 at 20:28

@Coyote I wish I had links! But since the NXT 2.0 supports bluetooth it should be possible to control it from a phone and I'm sure I've seen that (though it was probably too laggy).
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tooshelNov 8 '11 at 17:25